Financial Times Global MBA rankings highlight the value of Kelley School’s career services and research activities

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business made a major move upward in the Financial Times’ annual survey of the top 100 MBA programs in the world.

In rankings released Jan. 28, the school’s Full-Time MBA Program went from 57th to 43rd overall and rose to 22nd among all U.S. business schools. Kelley ranks sixth among all U.S. public institutions and third in the Big Ten.

The Kelley School’s rise in FT’s rankings comes at a time when many traditional residential MBA programs in the United States are facing growing competition, not only from each other, but also from business schools around the world. The FT rankings are a popular guide across Europe and Asia and are well respected among international students.

The FT’s ranking methodology involves 20 data points, including salary increases for alumni, international mobility and percentages of female and international faculty. A key strength for Kelley is its career services ranking – No. 5 worldwide.

“We’re always pleased with recognition of our programs, particularly when it reflects the school’s international prominence,” said Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management.

“Business is global, and so too is the Kelley School. We understand the value of a culturally diverse student body and the importance of engaging our students in international projects,” Kesner added. “These aspects, along with our highly ranked career services program, are valued by our students and recruiters, and they enrich the educational experience for all. Simply stated, we are developing business leaders with a global mindset.”

Kelley’s innovative Me Inc. program provides individualized professional development that begins even before classes begin.

“Our philosophy has been to work closely with students to help them find jobs they are excited about,” said Kyle Cattani, faculty chair of the Full-Time MBA Program and a professor of operations management. “From the beginning of their MBA program, we work with students to help them figure out where they want to be in their careers.”

As a result, 95 percent of Full-Time MBA Program graduates have full-time employment within 90 days of graduation.

The Financial Times also ranked the Kelley School in the top 20 worldwide for research.

International students make up a little more than a third of students enrolled in Kelley’s Full-Time MBA Program. Since the fall of 2014, international students have accounted for at least 35 percent of the incoming class, with the exception of a year ago, when that figure dropped to 30 percent.